December 16, 2013
Mike Hughes, The Martin Agency’s longest-serving creative director and its president since 1995, passed away today in his Richmond home after a long and valiant fight against lung cancer. Hughes joined The Martin Agency in 1978 as a writer and went on to serve as creative director for three decades and president for 18 years. A lifelong non-smoker, Hughes documented his thoughts about living and dying on his blog, unfinishedthinking.com, which is followed by hundreds around the globe…. DNA/David Naylor & Associates has signed feature filmmaker Kimberly Peirce for exclusive spot and music video representation in the U.S. Known for her activist independent vision, Peirce staked her place as a writer and director of singular vision with her debut feature Boys Don’t Cry, a powerful, fact-based drama about the life and tragic death of Brandon Teena, a Nebraska transgender who was brutally raped and murdered after his double life was exposed….Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave and David O. Russell’s American Hustle lead the 19th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards nominees with 13 bids each. Both films are nominated for best picture, actor, supporting actor and actress, acting ensemble, director, editing, costume design and makeup. Alfonso Cuaron’s space odyssey, Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock, follows with 10 nominations, including best picture, actress, director and visual effects….
December 19, 2008
Director Marcel Langenegger, having wrapped his feature filmmaking debut Deception, has returned to commercialmaking, joining production house GARTNER. His credits include the Cannes Gold Lion-winning “Borderline” PSA for Doctors Without Borders…Director Jim Manera, perhaps best known for Chevrolet’s “Like A Rock” campaign, has joined Cohn+Company, the NY-based shop headed by president/exec producer Jack Cohn. Manera was previously repped to Original Film and prior to that, Reactor Films. He started his career on the agency side of the business in Chicago as a copywriter at Leo Burnett, then a creative director at Tatham, Laird & Kudner, and group creative director on the Anheuser-Busch account at DDB Needham….Smoke & Mirrors NY has hired CG supervisor Michael Donovan. He earlier served in the same capacity at Spontaneous NY, and prior to that as a TD at Quiet Man, NY….Jennifer Lederman, who has been managing director of Red Car New York since 2000, has been promoted to the newly created position of national managing director for the overall company. She will be charged with coordinating Red Car’s efforts, talent and resources across a national platform spanning its editorial/post shops in New York, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, L.A. and San Francisco. Red Car also maintains an operation in Buenos Aires….
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More